Reinforced beams, &amp;c., and grillage therefor.



' investigation has shown that for the protec- `proper relative position.

- No. rasees.

UNITED STATES y IILLIAM N. WIGHT,

REINFOBCED BEANIS, 81.0.,

Patented Aprile, 1904.

PATENT @Fries OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AND GBILLAGE THEREFR.

SPECIFICATION forming part df Letters ratent No. 756,309, dated April 5,1904.

` Application ne@ mmh saines.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it, known that I, WILLIAM N. WIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced Beams and the Like and Grillage Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

In the building of concrete beams, girders, ribs, columns, pipes, or other structures of similari shape and subjected to transverse strains it is comm/on to forni the body of the structure of Aconcrete and to reinforce the same, especially in the portionssubjected to t tensile strains,by the embedding of metal. Va-

rious styles of metalreinforce for such struc` tures have been used and proposed. IWire cables have been used for this purpose; but

tion of iron embeddedin concrete theiron should -be completely enveloped by the concrete to avoid rusting, and where cables are used the interior wires are not so protected, and the irregular surface 0f the cable Causes numerous voids in the concrete, with thevbad effect stated. Instead of cables it has been proposed to use heavy rods, These lack the flexibility and length and the consequent facility of application of cables. They are-more especially objectionable,however, because the large mass oflmaterial induces a great distorl tion under a rapid application of heat and breaks up the concrete in case of lire. Both the systems described require careful work to insure the proper location of the reinforcement, there being generally no firm connection between the strands before setting theml in place. According to my invention I propose to use for the reinforcement of concrete or other plastic materiale sort. of grillage having anumber of longitudinal strands and spacing meansA at comparatively long intervals to hold the strands rmly connected to each other in" A grillage ofthis sort may be easily consttucted and can be set in place with muchgreater facility and accu- "racy than the reinforcements. previously proposed. Since beams are supported only at `"their ends, the spacers extending transversely Serial No. 150,270. (Novniodel.)v

of the beam do not take any of the' strain in the finished structure, but, in fact, forni trans- -verse linesof weakness in the concrete. VFor this reason and also to reduce the weight and cost of the grillage as muchas possible the spacing-meansare placed at long intervals, prefer` ably `just sufliciently close together toniaintain the longitudinal strands properlyspaced` in the handling and'setting of the grillage in place. ,Preferablyeaeh of the longitudinal strands consists of a single line flexible wire andpreferably of high-carbon steel, which may also be galvanized for additional security against rusting. These longitudinal strands or wires arespaced apart from each other sufficiently to permit the` complete envelopinent of each one separately-by the concrete. The spacing means which I preferconsists of strands interwoven transversely across the `longitudinal wires and either holding the same in place by .the'interweaving or byadditional binders or 1 any other suitable means or methods, as hereinafterv described 1n detail. Such a grillage may be made in acontinuous sheet or roll ofV great length from which portions can be .readily cut to the length of the beam to be built. Such a -grillage eifects a great `economy lin first cost, being r easily made by machinery and transported to the point ot' use and 'in the labor of manipulating the grillage and building the beam. The transverse spacing or cnnecting means are `of sufiicient strengthl to keep the grillage in shapey under very roughl handlingduring transportation or in use witlii'e out serious deformation; readymiade portable .grillage which is well l. thus `provide adapted to stand the rough usagenecessnarily 4 incident to rapid work.' r

The grillage described, though lpeculiarly adapted for such structures as beams which are supported only at their ends, might also be advantageously employed vin structures which arensupported both at thc ends and .Sides-such as floors, pavements, andthe like-and it may beso used wit-hout departure from `my invention. 1t may also `be used with or without other reinforceineiit..`

The accompanying drawing:A bodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 is aplan of a grillage containing i illustrate `em- 'thetransverse strand tol lock the longitudinal strands'sagainst lateral movement; but the con- Wstiai'cti seven. longitudinal wires. 'Fig Q is an enin different positions.

larged view illustrating'the application of a spacing-strand of three wires close together. Fig. 2 is a similar view with a dierent spacer. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a simple beam with a grillage einbeddednear its base. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of a'continuous beam with a grillage embedded in the form of successive catenaries. Figs. 5 and are crosssections, on an enlarged scale, of Fig. 3 on the lines 5 5 and 6 6. Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sections of similar beams with the grillage some what differently arranged. Fig. 9 is a crosssection ofva similar beaniwith a double grillage. Figs. l0 and 11 are cross-sections of cblunins with the grillage embedded therein Figs. '12 and 13 are cross-sections of hollow beams, respectively continuous and simple, showing a suitable application ofthe grillage to such structures.

'Referring now to the embodiment of thel invention illustrated, the grillage shown in Fig. 1 .comprises the longitudinal reinforcing-strands A, each comprising a single wire, and `the spacing means consisting of strands B, consisting of three Wires C, D, andnE, Fig.'

2, interwoven transversely across the longitudinal reinforcing-wires. The wires C DE of each of the spacing-strands B are arranged as close together as possible, having due `regard for the thickness of concrete needed between the individual Wires. C D E'can bearranged to each other the more vfirm is the joint. The interweaving of the wires C D E of the crossing strand with the longitudinalstrands or wires Aholds the latter firmly spaced apart straight and parallel;

but any other suitable spacing means may be substituted 4for the strands B. Preferably the wires C I) E are hook-edaround the outerlongitudinal strands Aand are crimped, as at F, where they cross the intermediate longitudinal strands, so as to more firmly lock the latter againstlateral movement. Any suitable binder might be employed in connection with illustrated is thought to be preferable permitting of the bringing of the longitudinal'strands closer together and forming a less bulk of metal. In comparison with the ,l of the wires VC I) E of each cross- .fing..strandfthe consecutive crossing strands B ,faref'arranged' at long intervals from each `lother,:bein'g prefera `ly only as frequent as is l necessary to'ii'iaintaii'i the longitudinal strands 'A straight andwparallcl during the handling and laying'ofithe grillage or fabric `and theA numbing ofdtlicconci-etc.y The longitudinal L sti-ands A may each' consist oione or more wires 4wjtliout sacrificing all the advantages of .tlieiiiventioiigQbut Lfor-the best results l pi-eicr to'inaleyeach'strandaingle wire, as shown.

" j The interraMbetween theseparate longitudinal" strands Ldependpv. 'upon the calculated the Wires lie.

lIhe closer the wires h reinforce asnear the plane of maximum tenstrain to which the grillage is to be subjected and the width of the 'space available for itsV embedment' and also on the size of the wire used. The other conditions being fixed, I can vary the interval between the strands by varying their size andA consequent strength. Preferably the interval between them is suiicient to permit the free passage of concrete therethrough and to insure that in the nished structure there is suilicieiit concrete between two strands to have its full, strength notwithstandingthe adjacent holes in which The method of applying the grillage in use may be varied in a very large number of ways, as will l be apparent to engineers or others skilledv in the art. I have illustrated a 'View of the simplest applications.

In Figs. 3, 5, and the grillage, which Ides- .ignate as a whole by the letter G, lies fiat and horizontal near the base of a simple beam H.

In Fig. 4, J is acontinuous beam of concrete extending not only between, but over and beyond the supports. K. The tensile strains 'in such a construction are somewhat differently distributed, 'being at the lower portion of the beam intermediate between the supports and' at the upper portion of the beam immediately I over the supports, and for such a case the grillage G may be suspended in a succession fof catenaries, as shown.

It `is preferable to arrange all of the metal sion of the beam as possible, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6; but Where a greater number of reinforcingestrands is desired and there isnot suicient lateral space to properly distribute them over the lowest plane the grillage may be bent up along the sides of the beam, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, which show one wire at each edge of the beam turned up vertically,

or. where still greater reinforcing strength is required I may provide, as in Fig. 9, two

A 'grillage s, one above the other," or, it may be,

one grillage folded over. rIhe longitudinal strands of lone grillage,A, and those of the other grillage, A', are preferably staggered relatively to each other, so as to avoid the formation of vertical cleavage planes in the c oncrete. This arrangement, therefore, substantially doubles the tensile strength of thev beam without weakening the concrete as much as would bethe case if longitudinal wires of double weight were used.

. Figs. l() and 11 illustrate the use of the grillage in columns. The column may be of any shape in cross-section. I have illustrated .one square column L and one round one M.

They may be solid or hollow, as sho'wn, and obviously a hollow pipe could be constructed in the saine way, preferably vwith a modifica-V tion of the thickness of the/concrete. The lon- I gitudinal strands of the gril-lage may run in either direction. vIn Fig. 10 I show the longitudinal strands A running around the"col IIOA umn and the transverse strands B running up and down the column. In Fig. 11 I show the longitudinal strands A running up and down and the transversestrands B running around the column. n

Figs.'12 and 13 illustrate the application of the grillage in a beam or oor of a very excellent type invented by me and claimed in my application for patent, Serial No. 125,361, filed September 30, 1902. Fig. l2 shows the beam continuous, and Fig. 13 shows a simple beam. The beam or eachspan thereof where it is continuous is hollow, the upper portion being in the shape of an arch. `-The reinforcement-in this case the grillage-Gextends throughout the lower portionffandis turned up and back at its ends and embedded in the upper portion, so that the strains inthe upper arched portion are transmitted at the ends of the latter tb the reinforce G, which resists them, vand thus converts the entire beam into practically a truss, relieving the end supports of any lateral pressure. Where the beam is continuous, as in Fig; 12, I prefer also to introduce a `grillage G' in the upper portion and which may also be arranged in the form of a catenary of very slight depth, because of the comparatively slight depth of concrete at the center.

My invention is capable of almost universal application in concrete or other plastic constructions and is believed to present the first ready-made portable grillage of longitudinal strands especially adapted for the reinforcing of concrete beams and the like. Though I have described with great particularity of detail a construction embodying my invention,

yet it is to be understood that the invention is `notlimited to the specilic construction or applications thereof illustrated. Various modilications may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the invention.

The grillage can be made very rapidly and cheaply by machinery in standard or special sizes and may be kept in stock,I so as to be available at any time, and can be very quickly laid in place without the exercise of any great care or skillV and without delay.

An example of a modified form of spacerl is illustrated in Fig. 2. rlhe spacervB" in this case is a strip `of sheet metal having two rows of perforations` in line with the longitudinal strands A of the grillage. The plate is bent so as to permit the `threading of the longitudinal strands through the holes and then springs back toward its original flat `,shape and not only `locks the longitudinal strands against lateral movement, but also by the strong frictional engagement holds itself against longitudinal movement. The amount of bend given the plate may be suliicientfto permit'the concrete to 'pass between the por# tions N of the longitudinal wires and the ad jacent face ofv the plate, so as to thoroughly embed the whole of the'longitudinal' strand.

suitable material may be used.

Instead of a doubly-perforated strip li mayy use astrip with single perforations, which will satisfy. at least the prime requisite of maintaining the spacing of the longitudinal strands,

or anyother spacer of wire, sheet metal, or

I claim as my inventionl 1. A beam or the l'ke comprisingin combination a body of concrete and alreinforcingv grillage embedded therein at the portion subjected to the principal tensile strains, `said grillage being composed of exible longitudinal strands, or wires(as distinguished from t stout rigid rods or bars), and spacing or connecting means at comparatively long intervals maintaining the relative positions of said longitudinal strands.

2. Abeam or the like comprising in combi nation a body of concrete and a reinforcing-- grillage embedded therein at the portion sub- -jected to the principal tensile strains,l said 'grillage being composed of exiblelongitudinal strands or wires (as distinguished from stout rigid rods or bars), and spacing or connecting means at comparatively long intervals maintaining the relati 'e positions of said longitudinal strands, a gg-flier of said longitudina-l strands being a1 zd in a substantially horizontal plane extending longitudinally of the beam.

3;, 4A beam or the like comprising in combinatlon abody of concrete and a remforcmgt grillage embedded therein at the portion subjected to the principal tensile strains,` said grillage being` composed of liexible longitudinal strands or wires (as distinguished from stout rigid rods or bars), and spacing or connecting means at comparatively long intervals IOO maintaining the relative positions of said lon- IIO nation a bodyof concrete and a reinforcnggrillage embeddedtherein at the .portionsubjected to the principal tensile strains, said cachot' said longitudinal wires being sepa-- rately enveloped by the concrete, and spacingstrands ,interwoven transversely across said longitudinal Wires at comparatively long intervals to maintain the relative positions ofsaid longitiidinalwires` 5. A beanli i'hJthe like comprising in .combination ,a body o`f concrete, a number of rein.- forcing-Wires extending longitudinally of the beam and each separately enveloped by the concrete, and. spacing-s`trands each comprising at least three wires interwoven fjlose togetherl transversely across sald vre1nfo1-crngwrires to l.

1 1 5 grillage being composed of fine flexible wires l (as distinguished from stout rigid rods or bars),

- j I U y vsa'soe maintain the relative positions of said wires, said strands being arranged at comparatively long intervals so as to minimize the number of transverse lines of Weakness in the concrete.

6. A ready-made, fiat, portable grillagefor I the reinforcing of concrete beams and the like,

' relative positions of said longitudinal strands and adapted' to permit handling and transpor`v tation of said grillage Without deformation.

7. A ready-made, iiat, portable grillage for the reinforcing of concrete beams and thelike,

formed in a continuous ,stri p or sheet and composed ci"V line, 4flexible, longitudinal Wires (as vdistinguished from'stout rigid -barsor rods),v said Wires being s paced at comparatively short.

. intervals from' each other si'iilicient to permit the complete envelopment of each Wire separately by the concrete, and spacing-strands interwoven transversely across said longitudinal Wires at comparatively long intervals to maintain the relative positions of the longitudinal Wires, said transverse strands being adapted to permit handling and transportation of said grillage. Without deformation.

8. A grillage for the reinforcing of concrete 3Q beams and thel like, comprising in combination longitudinal Wires spaced at comparatively short intervals from each .otherv Sullicient to-permit the complete envelopment of l each Wireseparately by the concrete, and spac- 35 ing-strands each comprising at least 4three wires interwoven close together transversely across said longitudinal yWires to maintain the relative positions thereof, said strands being" arranged at comparatively long intervals so 40 as to minimize the number of transverse lines of Weakness in the concrete. 'v J In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twov subscribing Witnesses. WILLIAM N. WIGHT. f

Witnesses: l DOMINGO A. UsINA,

FRED WHITE. 

